Man, I see in Fight Club the strongest and smartest men who've ever lived. I see all this potential, and I see it squandered. God damn it, an entire generation pumping gas, waiting tables; slaves with white collars. Working jobs we hate so we can buy shit we don't need. Our Great Depression is our lives. We've been raised on television to believe that one day we'd all be millionaires. But we won't. And we're slowly learning that fact. And we're very, very pissed off.

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Thursday, September 20, 2007

I am freakishly overwhelmed and teary right now and as such am unable to enjoy the usual door knocking over your way(s). My google reader is growing so full it might pop from the weight of the words I can't get to and there is definitely an obsessive trait deep inside me that can't stomach watching it balloon to so many unread posts.

But a girl's only got so much time and I hope to be back around soon enough. In the meantime, do me a favor and tell me something nice about our world. Sometimes I forget all the good stuff.

68 comments:

when it gets like that you need to click on 'mark all as read' and start again. and keep doing that until you have time to enjoy it. the whole point of this stuff is to make us happy, not do our heads in. no-one will mind if you don't pop by for a while. thinking of you and big hugs from damp old england.

Fall has already started here in New England, and that's a pretty nice thing. I love the smell of the fresh air early on a chilly morning and the sound of leaves blowing across a sidewalk. Not to mention the colors. The late afternoon is particularly nice, with the sun lowering on the horizon, and making the trees glow with all their yellows, oranges and reds.

I started a topic about what matters and how we are valuable and like the most awesome bloggers wrote the most moving things. One guy stayed with his mom to help her recover from surgery. One lady intervened to help an overwhelmed wife caring for a terminal husband. Another woman helped an elderly woman attacked by a mugger. One person asked everyone to spend the day saying nice things. And on and on.

mark all as read and keep clicking that button until you're feeling underwhelmed. the weather is gloriously fall-like here and i'm thinking about my weekend plans. know that we'll all be here when you are feeling less overwhelmed and know honey, that if you need a place to empty the well so you can free your mind a little, i'm here. xo

When BubTar's class discussed community helpers, he told his teacher he wanted to be a babysitter, because he is SO good at helping with his little sister. She told me in the parent teacher conference and said that he is always talking about KayTar and how much he loves her. And my heart about burst, because I worry so about how things affect him.

I walked up to a woman at the playground today who didn't seem to know anyone. I introduced Boyo and myself. "I'm a stay-at-home dad," I announced. We talked while the kids played and she was genuinely giddy.There are nice people in the world.

I hear you. I deleted 80+ posts from my reader today! :O Something good? George Bush can never again be elected President of the United States. Also, eat Edy's Slow Churned French Silk Ice Cream -- it's heaven!

I'm with everyone else...mark as read, then start over again. I'm sorry you're overwhelmed. Let's see, yesterday at the farmer's market, my kids were looking over the cookies, and a very elderly farmer leaned over and said teasingly, "Now girls, even Cookie Monster has traded in his cookies for vegetables." I loved that he knew that. I also love that he was gentle enough that they felt ok buying the cookies AND the vegetables.

the hugs of young children are quite good. And the best thing about a hug? everytime (ok, most times, sometimes your child tries to break free) you give one, you get one back!! (guess what I talked about in preschool yesterday!!)

Oh, nice things! Okay, this poem by Wendell Berry should do it:The Peace of Wild Things

When despair for the world grows in meand I wake in the night at the least soundin fear of what my life and my children's lives may be,I go and lie down where the wood drakerests in his beauty on the water, and the great heron feeds.I come into the peace of wild things who do not tax their lives with forethoughtof grief. I come into the presence of still water.And I feel above me the day-blind starswaiting with their light. For a timeI rest in the grace of the world, and am free.

well, this is a personal thing, but one of my best friends in the world was just able to adopt one of the most lovely little baby/toddler girls I have ever seen - and apparently, this dream child has a quick temper and has been ruling the roost all the way home from Calcutta to Rhode Island at age 10mo, though her brothers are 5 and 9 - ha! It's picture perfect; she's a rock star and she knows it!

Let's see...off the top of my head...- The cool breeze blowing through the house- the promise of crisp, autumn leaves and fresh apples soon- the way my little one says AGAIN when I tickle him- your little plot of land in a land far away- seeing a gazillion stars in the sky- good comedy- the promise of something better next November- all the people that you have touched on this earth- a good drink- the sound of laughter from little ones- fresh strawberries and cool whip - Mother Nature and mass production at its finest- big, squishy hugs

I so understand the feeling of being unable to get to the blog and the blog audience. Thus my summer long sabbatical. Take time off, you'll return with purpose and new energy.Something good about the world...homemade cinnamon donuts (can you tell I'm hungry?)

I agree. Mark all as read. This will make you smile: There is a cool breeze blowing in GA and slowly it is changing into Autumn. The jungle yard is ripe for exploring, and secret hiding places are being found by small children. There's a barely audible babble in the water of the creek, and snapping turtles can be seen from the bridge. Come on down, love.

I have a lot of questions and doubts about religion but this past weekend I witnessed two baptisms. Seeing the priest march down the aisle with a baby cradled in each arm and a beaming smile on his face almost made my heart burst with joy.

My husband was in line waiting to buy coffee at Tim Hortons (a Canadian reference; like Dunkin' Donuts, but with good coffee!) He ordered, held out his money and the woman taking his order said, "That's okay, the person in front paid for your coffee."

He's certain he didn't know who the person in front was. I think she was just paying it forward.

Experience a good thing about this world: if you do not have it get a copy of the Sex Pistols' "Anarchy in the U.K." and watch your kid dance to it. Don't forget to turn it up a little. You can do it in a park but you better hurry because winter, the best time of them all, is on the way. God save the Queen.

just tonight after my last goodnight kiss with the little dude, i started plotting, negotiating with that wicked ruler 'time'. how can i get more? if i do this, then this, then can i have more? no that won't work, how about this, then that and a little of this..will that give me more????

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good things...-ice cream in the fall-old friends-breakfast for dinner-the way i look at things after i read your posts-holding hands-live music-weekends-honey crisp apples - the best

You and I are walking hand in hand. (I still have thoughts about a previous post of yours I never succeeded in commenting on due to new work schedule coupled wtih parenting a child largely by cell phone. ouch.)

i also want to add fall sunshine, with that tinge of crispness in it, to the list...and the way my boy (sick) snuggled his head into the curve of my shoulder this morning and stayed there, for a loooong time.

that and the simple kindnesses Chani mentioned. the car that stopped to let me and O cross the street. the smile the old lady and i exchanged on the street yesterday.

I was getting out warm clothes (the first cold day and I freaked! Now it's back to 80 degrees. Anyway...) and came across a bumblebee halloween costume. Lorenzo grabbed it and wanted it on! (Last year, he was afraid of it. Wow.) He ran after Fiona, "Bzz Bzz Bzz." So cute, but then! She put on her flower fairy costume and they played together. Together. Playing. It was like a miracle. There is hope for peace on earth! (sorry, I have a hard time being earnest sometimes and end up tongue-in-cheek.)

Today is the equinox. The wheel keeps turning. There are bigger things than us.

While it's currently a piss-hole; it is the same place that birthed Botticelli and Mozart and Chagall and Modigliani and Van Gogh and James Taylor and Buddha and Jesus and Mussorgsky and I could go on.

The world eats itself over and over again. But, in doing so, births beauty.

There is good in this existence. If we hold it within ourselves and don't let the evil others do corrupt us and destroy our sense of hope.

I hope this will make you smile. This morning as I was walking out the door, Holden gave me a big kiss and said, for the first time, "I love you, Mommy." "I love you" is something that's definitely right with this crazy world of ours.

48 people have already left comments and they all want to make you happy. That's pretty good in itself.

The world is beautiful and it's all the better because we are in it (you and all your friends). Give time to yourself (surely you've got two minutes?), because you are absolutely gorgeous and deserve it.

The sun is shining, at least here where I am. Grass is green. Skies are blue. Most people overlook their differences and make it through another day without killing each other. All good things. And it seems that a lot of people care about you when you are 'overwhelmed and teary.' I suspect that they care about you the rest of the time as well. That too, is good.

how about that you are in it.that we "met" - that you've "met" all of us (some in person, some just out here in blogland).That you've touched some of us in such profound ways that we are trying to pick up where you leave off.....we're trying to make ourselves worthy.we're just trying.and we're hoping.

jen, I know the feeling. I too suffer from the panic of watching that unread count mount higher and higher. You just gotta turn it off. On more than one occassion, I have done the "mark-all-as-read" thing to end the madness.

Hope you're feeling better. I just wanted to send you this link because it's sob-worthy and inspiring and absolutely wonderful. Sometimes, amazing things come from unexpected sources. http://cbs5.com/video/?id=26888@kpix.dayport.com

Hang in there ~ we'll be anxiously awaiting your return.Something good... no matter how bad the day is, you can go to sleep each night knowing that you have a fresh new start the next morning. You can do with that day what you wish ~ almost like a do~over.

Here's something cute if you want to hear it: My 5 year old son with autism, who is barely verbal, sits in the back of my car singing "I Believe When I Fall in Love" by Stevie Wonder. This is one of the reasons I love being his mom. Love you, Jenn!

About Me

The story of a free-spirited woman who after much living had a baby and until recently was in charge of a non profit that helped to get people off the streets.
But I've left it all behind to move to the jungle and figure out a way to live more sustainably while seeing more of the world.
It took us five years and we still aren't quite sure what we are doing but we are doing it anyways.